The invention relates to graphical user interfaces (GUI), in particular to GUI""s for devices with a relatively small screen real estate, such as handheld information appliances (palmtops, mobile phones, Web pads, PDA""s or notebook computers, etc.)
Current trends indicate that by 2002 there will be 1B subscribers worldwide to mobile phones. By 2004 there will be more Mobile phones in use than PC""s. Mobile phones have become personal, trusted devices. Mobile phones, such a the Genie manufactured by Philips Electronics, typically have an LCD as part of the user interface and there is a trend to provide an ever larger number of onboard software services.
Hand-held computing devices, such as personal digital assistants (PDA), e.g., the PalmIIIx manufactured by 3COM or a Windows CE-based handheld, can be connected to the Internet via a wireless modem. As a result, ubiquitous information access via the Internet has started to become reality. Examples of a wireless modems are, for example, the Minstrel marketed by Novatel Wireless, and the Ricochet from Metricom. The Minstrel is a two-way wireless modem for a PDA that lets the user browse the Web and receive email, among other things. In a more general sense, a wireless modem like the Minstrel or Ricochet provides the handheld device with an IP address that can be used by any type of application that uses the Internet for communication (within limitations of throughput, latency and coverage). The Minstrel uses a technology referred to as Cellular Digital Packet Data (CDPD) that is supported by the cellular service providers. Web surfing is limited to a CDPD speed cap of 19.2-kbps. The Ricochet has a faster connect rate, in the 28.8K-bps range, but it is supported in only three metropolitan centers (the San Francisco Bay area, Seattle and Wash.).
Studies further indicate that the functionalities of PDA""s and mobile phones have started to converge, and that a mobile information society is developing. There will be an emerging of dedicated devices. PDA""s are now work-related. In the near future PDA""s will be personalized computers that stay with the user all the time. PDA""s will get more power and smaller size and accommodate more, and more versatile, functionalities.
Bandwidth and display size are believed to be the factors that limit the usability and practicality of the handheld device, be it a mobile phone, a palmtop or a hybrid. In particular, the GUI and the services accessible to such handhelds are critical factors for the consumers"" acceptability of such services. In particular, e-commerce or electronic shopping may benefit from the ubiquity of handhelds if the implementing technology addresses the consumers"" needs in terms of user-friendliness of the handheld devices.
Co-pending U.S. Ser. No. 09/062,364 (PHA 23,387) mentioned above and incorporated herein by reference, corresponds to published International Application WO9954807. This document relates to a graphical user interface touch screen for displaying controllable functions of an electronic device. The function is displayed as an icon and at a scale size in which the function is recognizable by a user but too small to easily access features of the function. A magnified version of at least an area of the icon is provided upon the user touching the area of the icon. For example, the device has a Virtual alphanumeric keyboard. The softkeys displayed are too small for the user to select an individual one of them. Now, when the user touches the keyboard in a specific section that accommodates the desired key, the device""s GUI magnifies that specific section so that the intended key re-appears at a larger scale and can be selected.
The inventor has realized that this feature, referred to as xe2x80x9cauto-zoomxe2x80x9d, is not only useful within the context of a user-interface for control functionalities represented graphically by icons. The auto-zoom is also relevant to the rendering of any kind of graphical information on a display too small for the total information content, given the display""s resolution and size. For example, handheld information processing devices with Internet access (browsers) and displays, such as PDA""s, palmtops, web pads, mobile phones using, e.g., the WAP (wireless application protocol) technology, etc., can be given browsers for retrieving and navigating web pages from the Internet, but they cannot render a page in its entirety without losing information. The lay-out and general appearance of the image of the page, however, indicate whether portions may or may not be of interest to the user, e.g., as containing hyperlinks.
Such handheld devices provided with the auto-zoom feature let the user retrieve graphical information, e.g., a web page or streamed video that is stored, e.g., as a bitmap, in the display""s framebuffer or another cache.
Accordingly, the invention relates to an information processing apparatus that has an input for receiving data from an external resource, e.g. the Internet, a display, and a data processing system. The system is connected to the input and to the display. The system processes the data upon receipt and renders on the display an image corresponding to the data received. The apparatus has a touch screen for enabling a user to interact with the apparatus. The system is operative to enable the user to select via the touch screen a portion of the image when displayed at a first scale. Upon the portion being selected the system renders the selected portion on the display at a second scale larger than the first scale (zoom-in). The portion selected corresponds to a location on the touch screen. The invention thus allows the user to perceive the graphical information of the image regardless of the display size. The invention is especially interesting to handhelds, such as PDA""s, palmtops,. mobile phones, web pads (thin clients with browsing capabilities), etc., because the size of a handheld""s display is necessarily small due to the required form factor and weight limitation. The ubiquitous information access via a browser is a great asset for Internet-enabled handhelds (comprising a wireless modem), as not only text pages but also, e.g., still pictures (e.g., jpeg), streaming video, web page with hyperlinks (e.g., HTML) and java animation are now within reach of these devices whose screen real estate needs not be the limiting factor anymore.
The apparatus in the invention can have one or more zoom levels.
The term xe2x80x9ctextingxe2x80x9d is currently being used to refer to the sending and receiving of short text messages using mobile phones. Many service providers allow users to key in and send short text messages (SMS: short messaging service). Teenagers in Europe and East Asia seem to have embraced this technology, just as young people in the U.S. have gone for live chat and instant messaging on the Internet. The invention in U.S. Ser. No. 09/062,364 (PHA 23,387) improves the user-friendliness of the mobile phone""s GUI. The invention of the auto-zoom extended to cover the rendering of arbitrary graphical information further broadens the scope of applicability of data processing handhelds, especially in the field of consumer electronics (CE).
Screenphones may also benefit from the current invention. A screenphone is typically a wired terminal that has a small display monitor and a keyboard. The Internet screenphone market is expanding rapidly. Analysts predict revenues in this market segment as over $2 B by 2002. The success of the Minitel system in France has triggered the introduction of screenphones elsewhere by banks to promote home banking and shopping.